England 39-10 Argentina: Ford delivers, substitutes make an impact but Vunipola injury a worry October 6, 2019 Argentina promised a war but in the end it proved to be little more than a skirmish. England are through to the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup with a third successive win after seeing off the Pumas 39-10 in Tokyo on Saturday. England will be delighted to have their passage into the knockout stages [...]
Premier League talking points: Matty Longstaff’s heartwarming interview, Frank back super, Pochettino struggling and more October 6, 2019 Manchester United’s problems are showing no signs of easing, with their 1-0 defeat against Newcastle leaving them 12th and just two points above the relegation zone. Unsurprisingly the underlying statistics don’t make for happy reading. No away wins since March, five victories in the last 23 matches altogether and just seven goals scored in the [...]
Adama Traore double sinks Manchester City and presents Liverpool with brilliant opportunity October 6, 2019 “It’s a bit like a recipe,” Pep Guardiola theorises in Pep Confidential. “League titles are won in the final eight games, but they are lost in the first eight games”. When he invited friend and journalist Marti Perarnau to document his 2013-14 season with Bayern Munich, Guardiola wouldn’t have been thinking about the ramifications of [...]
The Hundred launch: Enthusiasm and confusion defines response to the ECB’s great hope October 3, 2019 The England and Wales Cricket Board’s great hope made its much-anticipated launch in a chilly warehouse on Brick Lane this morning. After a great deal of fanfare and a glitzy, clumsy marketing campaign The Hundred, a 100-ball competition with eight new franchises which begins next summer, took its first steps, full of optimism yet tinged [...]
Lille 1-2 Chelsea: Willian’s bolt from the blue secures vital away win for Lampard’s side October 2, 2019 After their disappointing opening round defeat at home by Valencia it was all about winning tonight, and win Chelsea did. Frank Lampard’s Blues are clearly a work in progress, especially when faced with challenging, unfamiliar sides in the Champions League. Read more: Spurs punished by seven-goal Bayern But while there were chinks in the armour, [...]
England v Argentina preview: Forward-thinking but one-dimensional Pumas pose set piece threat October 2, 2019 The stage is set and England know exactly what to expect from Argentina in Tokyo on Saturday. The significance for the Pumas is clear. They need to do what they haven’t done in the last nine meetings and 10 years: beat England. Do that and their narrow opening 23-21 World Cup defeat by France might [...]
NFL London Games: UK director Alistair Kirkwood on cross-Atlantic growth, the Tottenham Stadium and a future franchise October 2, 2019 When it was announced that the NFL would host a game in London for the first time, the decision was met with intrigue and scepticism. Was the risk worth the potential rewards? Were the English public really interested enough in American football? Would jet-lagged players struggle to perform at Wembley? Twelve years on from that [...]
Tottenham 2-7 Bayern Munich: Tactical naivety and basic errors cost Spurs dear in Champions League thrashing October 1, 2019 The wheels didn’t just come off the Tottenham wagon in the Champions League tonight; they were loosened by its driver and catapulted out of sight over the horizon. Bayern Munich absolutely outclassed Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs on their own turf, putting seven past a weary, disenchanted and ramshackle opponent. Read more: Leicester can be better than [...]
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal: McTominay and Aubameyang trade blows as both sides underperform September 30, 2019 Received wisdom in football states that a draw leaves both teams happy – a point apiece, something to take from your efforts, at least you didn’t lose. Manchester United and Arsenal drew tonight, and yet such are the weaknesses of both sides that both managers should be displeased with a single point. United faced a [...]
Australia 25-29 Wales: Gatland’s side dig deep to hold onto “massive” win and determine their own World Cup pathway September 29, 2019 As a head coach in a long tournament it is down to you to keep your players focused on what’s in front. Wins are enjoyed, of course, but they should always be followed by assertions that more tests await. After Wales’s hard-fought Rugby World Cup win over Australia, Warren Gatland followed the ascribed path of [...]
